What a crazy two weeks! Indie Gathering and Horror Realm screenings were great. We got to invade Ohio and screen the film among other film professionals at the Indie Gathering; plus we took home our awesome 2nd place award!

Upcoming Screenings

Here are a few more opportunities for you to catch a screening of House of Oddities!

Sept. 14th- Brew on Broadway, Beechview – Pittsburgh @ 7pm

Back in April we did a screening at the awesome coffee shop, Brew on Broadway. Unfortunately, we were on the same night as the Pittsburgh Cultural District Gallery Crawl and a burlesque show going on at the same time. So the folks over at Brew wanted to do another screening of the film for those who may have missed it the first time around. This is a free screening! Check out the facebook event page here

October 8th-Southside Works Cinema, Pittsburgh, PA @ 7pm

This is our first big screening using the tugg.com partnership! This screening will be without a doubt at our biggest venue yet, the amazing Southside Works Cinema. This special 2k resolution quality screening will include a special Q and A after the film with Director Brian Cottington. As with all Tugg.com events, this event WILL ONLY HAPPEN IF (60) TICKETS ARE PRESOLD. If you plan on attending this one time only screening, please purchase your tickets online through the tugg.com event page. Tickets are $9 and will be available for purchase starting on Sept. 2nd at 12am. Check out the tugg.com event page here

Originally, this screening was schedule for September but has now moved to late October, just in time for Halloween! Keep posted for the final time.

Want to see Deleted Scenes?

Did you know we filmed over 16 hours worth of footage to make House of Oddities? Now of course, all that footage couldn’t fit into the final film; so there is a good deal of deleted scenes that will be included on the final DVD. But you can see 4 of these deleted scenes right now! We are giving away exclusive access to 4 of these deleted scenes once you sign up to receive news and updates about all things House of Oddities. Some of these updates will include special offers on everything from discounts on DVDs and VOD and exclusive news for subscribers only. We know you already receive enough email and of course will never give out your email to marketers and other nefarious companies.

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I wanted to give a big update on where you can catch a screening of House of Oddities.

This weekend (August 15th & 16th) of course is the big back to back screenings in Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

Friday-August 15th @ 10pm-Crowne Plaza South-Carnegie Room

House of Oddities will screen as part of the annual Horror Realm Con at the Crowne Plaza South in Pittsburgh, PA. In previous years, Horror Realm held its annual convention during mid September but in a change of pace, they have moved the date up to August 15th-17th. The folks over at Horror Realm have always been big supporters of House of Oddities as well as independent film in general. Back in May, they awarded House of Oddities with the Best Director – Feature Film Award as part of their 1st annual independent film festival. Director, Brian Cottington will be on hand for this screening.

Along with a fantastic schedule of independent films, Horror Realm Con also features a jam packed dealer room full of DVDs, posters, independent horror artists and authors, and horror film celebrities. Horror Realm also features an impressive array of celebrity panels and fan favorite events like the Zombie Luau, Burlesque by Steel City Cabaret, VHS screening room, and a Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow cast!

Next on the back to back screening schedule is our OHIO PREMIERE! House of Oddities will screen as part of the 19th Annual International Indie Gathering in Hudson, OH this Saturday. The Indie Gathering also awarded House of Oddities with 2nd Place in the Competitive Feature Documentary Category. Director, Brian Cottington will be on hand for the screening on Saturday as well as the award ceremony on Sunday afternoon.

The Indie Gathering is a fantastic gathering of filmmakers and film fans. Along with amazing film screenings, the Indie Gathering also features live FX makeup competitions, stage combat demos and competitions, filmmaker panels and seminars, and an impressive dealer room.

Future Screenings

September 4th-Time TBA-Chatham University-Eddy Theater-Pittsburgh, PA

House of Oddities comes back to Chatham University for a second screening as part of their MFA Film Series. Director Brian Cottington, a Chatham MFA Film Alum, showcases his newest work to the Chatham Community.

TUGG.COM SCREENINGS ACTIVE…..AGAIN!

So back in late June, we announced that our nation-wide screening request partnership with tugg.com was live and open to the public. Well….it was for about a day. Basically, what happened was the DCP (Digital Cinema Package) ,which is basically what plays at all digital theaters across the country, had encoded incorrectly. After a little over a month of researching the problem with the authoring software and re authoring the DCP; I can announce that Tugg.com has successfully processed the new DCP and screening requests are now open for good!

You can find out how to go about requesting House of Oddities for a theater near you by clicking on the SEE THE FILM tab at the top!

Remember, those who request screenings through tugg.com have the opportunity to make 5% of the ticket sales for events that meet or exceed the presale ticket threshold as well as receive an autographed dvd copy of the film!

House of Oddities was reviewed not too long about by our friend, Tim Gross, over at Gross Movie Reviews. You can check out the review hereas well as the multitude of other reviews Tim has done on all manner of indie horror movie. http://grossmoviereviews.com/

House of Oddities: The Story of the Atrocity Exhibition (Vimeo/DVD) –

An amazing documentary that takes you on the journey of how a local Atrocity Exhibition got started and how some very different and passionate people make it happen. Independent filmmaker Brian Cottington lends his talents in filming this small group of artists that want to entertain people whether through art, theater, dance, etc. And give the mainstream something that isn’t looked at as your typical sideshow or freakshow but true art or freedom of expression. Cottington gives you an inside look of how a small group of artists came together from many walks of life and put together a show that not only has a loyal following but grows by the minute. A show that is very different from anything you have seen before and to keep people in attendance guessing they change the show every year. I believe this is a perfect documentary filmed by Brian Cottington for the mere fact this isn’t something I am into but after watching this has my full respect for what they do. Oddities they are not, artists they are and I am grateful for that and the people who were apart of this documentary. I give this wonderful film 4 out of 4 stars and can be seeked out at www.houseofodditiesmovie.com .

The Pittsburgh produced documentary film, “House of Oddities: The Story of the Atrocity Exhibition” by award winning Director Brian Cottington has placed 2nd in the Feature Documentary Competition and will be screened at the International Indie Gathering August 16th at 10:35pm at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center – Hudson, OH.

PITTSBURGH, PA- July 8, 2014-A Pittsburgh based documentary about the annual underground dark art festival, The Atrocity Exhibition, makes its Ohio premiere this coming August. “House of Oddities: The Story of the Atrocity Exhibition” by award winning Director Brian Cottington, will be screened at the International Indie Gathering in Hudson, OH that takes place from August 15- 17. The film was also awarded by placing 2nd in the Feature Documentary Competition. This is the first feature and first documentary by Brian Cottington who previously took home the Best Director in a Feature Film Award from this past May’s 1st Annual Horror Realm Independent Film Festival.

“House of Oddities” tells the story of one of the most bizarre and artistically diverse events held in Pittsburgh; the annual Morose & Macabre Atrocity Exhibition held at the Rex Theater in Pittsburgh’s South Side now in it’s 6th year. Filmed over the course of 2013, Brian Cottington takes a behind the scenes look at the various performance artists, burlesque entertainers, side show artists, and local fine artists who encompass a 360 degree themed living art exhibition. “House of Oddities” also manages to expose the human side of people who on the surface appear as “freaks” and how they can come together as a family for one night to put on a fantastic celebration of the macabre.

“House of Oddities” is a feature length documentary that details the behind the scenes madness that goes into creating the 360 degree art collaborative show, Morose & Macabre’s Atrocity Exhibition, now in it’s 6th year. Directed by Brian Cottington and Cinematography by Timothy Roberts the movie is set for a Fall 2014 DVD release. Theatrical screenings will be available across the country through theatrical on demand service, Tugg.com. You can follow “House of Oddities” on their website, www.houseofodditiesmovie.com, www.facebook.com/HouseOfOdditiesMovie, and @OdditiesFilm on twitter.

About The International Indie Gathering

Every August, filmmakers from around the world meet up for The Indie Gathering International Film Festival. The Indie Gathering is more than just a film festival – it’s a place where filmmakers can gather together with the audience for one great weekend!

We are the Alternative for Independent, Underground and Experimental Film and Video. The “Indie” Gathering Film Festival exists to showcase the independent filmmaker. Our mission is to inspire and encourage filmmakers through a competitive showcase. Filmmakers participate in their screenings and after the films speak with audience members who seek a closer look into the creative process.

With competitions for films, scripts, film scoring, special FX makeup, stunts/fight scenes, and acting/monologue, The Indie Gathering has a place for everyone! The weekend consists of three screening rooms, a convention/vendors room, film seminars/lectures, competitions, networking parties and more! If you are involved in, or interested in, any aspect of filmmaking, this festival is for you.

A little bit late in getting this out, but House of Oddities has won its first award! On May 24th, House of Oddities screened as part of the Horror Realm Independent Film Festival at the Hollywood Theater in Dormont, PA. This film was one of the only non horror films featured among the 9 different feature films at the festival.

Brian Cottington, Director of House of Oddities, ultimately took home the Best Director-Feature Film- Award! This is the first film award that House of Oddities has won and the first award Brian Cottington has won in his 10 years as a filmmaker.

“House of Oddities” will join 16 other films this weekend as part of Horror Realm Con’s Independent Film Festival. This is our first official film festival selection and our first time back at The Hollywood Theater in Dormont, PA since November! Screening time is set for 7:30pm on Saturday night- Don’t miss it!!!

Be sure to check out the full listing of excellent films as well as purchase tickets for the festival at this link!

If you pop on over to the House of Oddities facebook page you will see that a new screening has been announced today. May 3rd, 7pm-9pm at Eddy Theater on Chatham University’s Shadyside Campus-Pittsburgh!

This will be the first screening of the final cut of the film that I’ve been plugging away at since the November screening. This cut will include the brand new remastered soundtrack by Rob Gray, new graphics, and higher res still photos. This version also deals with some of the recutting that had to be done to accommodate some of the copyrighted music that was in the background of performances.

So if you have nothing planned on Saturday May 3rd, come on down for a night of the bizarre with this awesome free screening of House of Oddities: The Story of the Atrocity Exhibition.

Tiny little update on House of Oddities: The Story of The Atrocity Exhibition. After the initial screening of the film back in November, I noticed that there was a need to refine the film a bit before releasing it to the world through tugg theatrical on demand, DVD, and video on demand. So there were a few steps taken.

1. Music- I took the liberty of contacting nearly all the bands that had their music recorded in the background of the event to ask for permission. Granted, as I followed the fair use guidelines for documentary filmmaking and these instances do fall in line, I felt it was the right thing to do. Almost all the bands gladly gave permission and every artist will be attributed in the credits. One that I did have to cut was the opening number to the show sequence. It hurt a lot, but the music in the background was the only piece from the film that belonged to a big music group and to not cut it could lead to lawsuits.

2. Still images and graphics- I am replacing all the title cards, lower thirds, and still images with high res versions. In order to get the film done on time for the screening, I had to sacrifice quality in these departments. For the mass viewings, this will be corrected.

3. Sound- For the past month, I’ve been working with Rob Gray, who provided the amazing music to last years event for the world’s longest strip tease with Lita D’Vargas. Rob has been going through the entire soundtrack for the film; cleaning it up and making it sound as good as the film looks. He just finished up yesterday evening and it sounds a million times better than what was screened in november.

Now that the sound is done and the graphics are nearly complete, I can start submitting to festivals, creating local screenings, and get this film submitted to tugg.com so that anyone in any city in the country can create a screening of this film for their community.

The following is an excerpt from the review: “An American Atrocity and A Bible Belting-A Double Feature Documentary Review of House of Oddities: The Story of the Atrocity Exhibition and Rebel Scum. Check out the full review atThe B Movie Avenger!

House of Oddities: The Story of the Atrocity Exhibition

HOUSE OF ODDITIES: THE STORY OF THE ATROCITY EXHIBITION: Takes us into The Atrocity Exhibit,a magical underground movement taking place in Pittsburgh. A dazzling circus of Suspension artists, drag queens, poets, comedians, musicians, a bed of nails performer and many more, all brought together for their love of the Macabre, strange and beautiful once a year to blow the minds of freaks and rubes alike!

Macabre Noir and Dr. Morose

A wonderful mixture of the odd and the breathtaking HOUSE OF ODDITIES:STORY OF THE ATROCITY EXHIBITION is the punk version of Cirque Du Le, coming across as a classic freak show with Rocky Horror Picture Show undertones, a classic punk vibe and an energy that I can’t even begin to describe!

The performers in this documentary literally left me breathless, both with their performances and their open, friendly and down to earth personalities, each bring to the stage and the screen their own unique vibe and presence. I can’t claim not to have a favorite though. For me the performance of shit talking spunky drag queen Cherri Baum was the one that stuck out the most..I know I’ll get alot of flack here, as a straight man who can appreciate drag, but I see it as an art, and watching Cherri perform really took me back and reminded me of my personal favorite drag performer, Divine, in her prime. Not to say that Cherri is a Divine clone, far from it, she showcases a spunky, in your face attitude and wonderfully weird character and costume (complete with a puffy wraparound orange mustache..oh that’s right! She went double drag!) that is all her own.

The show here is just breathtaking, from the elaborate stage settings and creative blend of darkness and eye piercing colors, Gillao-esque lighting, distorted sound and makeup that brings together everything from classic circus to Geisha to Kabuki..I’m really strangling to be able to describe it, and to be honest it really is something you need to see to believe.

trust me when I say though that while Cherri is my own personal favorite each and every one of these performers steals the show when they hit the stage. I can only imagine how amazing it would be to see this spectacle live, and am downright shocked I had never heard of it before. I may just have to go to Pittsburgh and get myself a front row seat to the madness!

The music here is an element that I bet alot of reviewers won’t pick up on because of all the visual spectacle but I was struck by this as well, showcasing everything from experimental sound, quiet and soothing music box music and what I can only describe as Horror Canopy, this piece has an outstanding soundtrack!

“HOUSE OF ODDITIES is a truly cinematic experience, pulling the crowd in and not only not being offended when we gawk but demanding that we do!”

Cinematography is usually the element that I need to give a free pass to Documentaries, not here. Utilizing what is either genuine 35mm film with a digital touch up or some of the best damn digital video I have ever seen, and with a steady hand in every shot, HOUSE OF ODDITIES is a truly cinematic experience, pulling the crowd in and not only not being offended when we gawk but demanding that we do!

Director Brian Cottington, simply blew my mind with this piece, finding the perfect balance with footage of the show and interviews with the many talented performers. When you take into account that this was his first documentary as well as his first feature the real scope of his talent becomes even more apparent!

The only complaint I could even begin to voice here is that when the documentary was over I desperately wanted more! I really hope that there will one day be a DVD release of the exhibit itself so that I can see it in it’s entirety again and again!

Overall I give this documentary two middle fingers up and sanded to the bone, I definitely consider this one to be an instant classic and I sincerely hope that this troupe of frisky freaks will make their way to New York state one day so i can experience the madness first hand!